Schop Logt

Starbucks is throwing laptop-lingerers out

Posted on Tuesday 09 August 2011 at 08:49 am in category: Whatever, USA, Nerds
In the past week 17 people read this, in the past month 70 people read this.

Related link: NYC Starbucks Taking Steps to Block WiFi 'Loiterers'

Apparently the people that use the free WiFi in Starbucks coffeeshops are starting to become a problem. I have to admit I have done this too: you go into a coffeshop, order a cup of coffee (maybe a pastry), and sit down with your laptop at one of the tables. Nobody bothers you, and you can sit there virtually forever.

Some Starbucks restaurants in New York City want to put a stop to this.

Who made this stupid logo?

Posted on Monday 08 August 2011 at 11:24 pm in category: Whatever, USA
In the past week 8 people read this, in the past month 45 people read this.

Related link: via Michelle Malkin » Government logo fail of the day

We all know the goverment can be stupid sometimes. This actually goes for any government, not just the US government, but here is an example of the stupidity of the government of the USA, the land of innovation and hi-tech stuff:

You are looking at the logo of the new Department of Innovation Blog of the Smithsonian Institute, an institute that runs with government money. Everybody knows the Smithsonian. In their own words:

Founded in 1846, the Smithsonian is the world's largest museum and research complex, consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park and nine research facilities.

From an institue like that, you might expect some technical expertise, right? Well, I am sorry to break it to you, but they are stupid too. Look at that logo again.

Not only can 3 interlocking gears like that never move anywhere, the pitch (distance between the teeth on the gears) is not the same for all three either. This means that even if the two smaller ones were not interlocked, the whole construction would come to a screeching halt after half a turn.

Now, I admit that somebody that makes logos for a living might not know that, but you would think that a whole committee of well-payed people over there at the prestigious Smithsonian Institute have looked at it and approved it. Good luck competing with China!

Blue Hen Falls

Posted on Sunday 07 August 2011 at 11:23 pm in category: Whatever, USA
In the past week 16 people read this, in the past month 63 people read this.

A short downhill walk through the woods off of Boston Mills Road, in the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley National park in North East Ohio, is a gorgeous waterfall called Blue Hen Falls. Although not quite as spectacular as the nearby Brandywine Falls, that I wrote something about two years ago, it is definitely a place worth visiting.

A sign in my yard & a tip to save money

Posted on Tuesday 12 April 2011 at 09:09 am in category: USA
In the past week 12 people read this, in the past month 38 people read this.

Today, I have taken my 'being an american' to a whole new level. I now have a sign in my yard. The United States is the only country I know where people express their political views by putting a sign in their yard. Especially when elections are coming closer, almost every house will have a sign (or more than one) to tell you who or what to vote for. In The Netherlands only die-hard partisans would do this. The rest of the population would probably rather have a red hot soldering iron shoved up their nose than tell anybody what their political preferences are.

American politics differ from Dutch politics in a lot of ways. For example, most of the time when voting here in the US, you have two choices for every issue: who is going to be president (choose between these two idiots please), if you are in favor of a tax raise to keep the school going (yes or no), if you agree on having bars serve alcohol on Sundays (yes or no) and a ton of other things.

Thanksgiving

Posted on Wednesday 24 November 2010 at 11:12 am in category: USA
In the past week 6 people read this, in the past month 28 people read this.

De tijd vliegt, en dus is het morgen alweer Thanksgiving, een feestdag die gekenmerkt wordt door het eten van een kalkoen in besloten kring, en 'Black Friday' de volgende dag, waarop mensen om drie uur 's ochtends gaan winkelen om hoge kortingen te krijgen, zodat de grote winkelketens aan het eind van het jaar een positief financiëel rapport kunnen publiceren.